Greg Abel Quotes

[In August 2013.] Integrity is of paramount importance in good leadership. It goes beyond how you conduct yourself. It’s also about how you communicate. You show respect by bringing a lot of candour to situations.
Greg Abel

[In September 2013 on originally joining PriceWaterhouseCooper after graduation.] With a degree in accounting, the logical next step was to become a CA (chartered accountant) but I was always trying to develop my technical skills... and after moving to California I saw a great emphasis on communication and writing skills.
Greg Abel

[In September 2013 on being hired after PriceWaterhouseCooper by one of his customers CalEnergy which was later acquired by MidAmerican.] My energy background from Alberta was relevant, and while I was happy to join them on the financial side, in a short time I wanted to become more involved in the operational side. I was an accountant who wanted to be in the field, and I spent a year at their geothermal power plant at Ridgecrest, two hours east of Los Angeles.
Greg Abel

[In September 2013 on utilities they own that don’t have a renewable base.] Made it a focus to de-carbonize the footprint.
Greg Abel

[In September 2013.] We have a utility based in Iowa that serves four states, and we'll have more than 3,300 megawatts of wind with our $6.5 billion investments. There are many times in those states, and specifically Iowa, where 100 per cent of our energy is coming from wind.
Greg Abel

[In September 2013.] Long-term we could see a carbon tax in the U.S., or some way to pass on the societal cost of carbon. So every time we can reduce this risk to our customers, we do that.
Greg Abel

[In September 2013.] At the U of AI realized so many opportunities lie ahead, and it taught me to keep learning. And our organization (Berkshire Hathaway) believes in continuous improvement for staff as well.
Greg Abel

[In September 2013.] I was born in Everton and raised there all my life. We had a very close family. My parents and my sister Heather were very supportive in all [my] endeavours.
Greg Abel

[In September 2013 on the University of Alberta where he studied.] I think the university really did challenge us in a lot of different ways and of course we still today to question challenge, be a critical thinker. Those are realistically a variety of skills I still pull out daily and utilise in my daily worklife and I believe it’s benefited me both professionally and personally.
Greg Abel

[In October 2013 on a Number 1 rank in overall customer satisfaction thanks to industrial customers.] Improving customer satisfaction at every level has been one of our company’s key initiatives. These results confirm that our employees are listening to our customers, and we thank them for their valued input.
Greg Abel

[In November 2013 on TQS results.] Improving customer satisfaction, particularly among large customers, has been one of our company's key initiatives. These results confirm that our employees are listening to our customers, and we thank them for their valued input. We are committed to developing and maintaining excellent communications and customer service for all our customers. In today's challenging economic environment, our customers rely on us to go above and beyond with customer service. The latest TQS results demonstrate that our employees' efforts are recognized by our customers.
Greg Abel

[In 2014 on his intentions to double his investment in low-carbon energy production.] We’re going to keep doing that as far as the eye can see. We’ll just keep moving.
Greg Abel

[In April 2014 on the name change of MidAmerican Energy Holdings to Berkshire Hathaway Energy.] Our new name reflects the benefits we gain from Berkshire Hathaway's ownership, particularly our ability to reinvest in our businesses and take a long-term view of our customers' needs, which have helped us become a leader in the global energy Industry. Our vision remains unchanged- to be the best energy company in serving our customers, while delivering sustainable energy solutions.
Greg Abel

[In May 2014 on the AltaLink acquisition for US$2.9 billion.] AltaLink’s values align with our core principles, including the commitment to employees and their safety, customers, regulators and relationships with key stakeholders, The acquisition of AltaLink represents a great long-term opportunity to invest in Alberta’s critical transmission infrastructure and in Canada. We see this as a great addition to the Berkshire Hathaway Energy family, and we look forward to having AltaLink continue to support the economic growth and evolving energy needs of Alberta.
Greg Abel

[In May 2014.] The acquisition of AltaLink represents a great long-term opportunity to invest in Alberta's critical transmission infrastructure and in Canada.
Greg Abel

[In May 2014.] We were excited when AltaLink came up because we just see, truly, a great place to invest and we want to be part of the significant investment that’s going on in that province.
Greg Abel

[In May 2014.] We invest in hard assets, so it can be transmission lines, distribution lines, generation assets… and we’re sort of a unique owner, because we really intend to own those assets forever.
Greg Abel

[In May 2014 on the purchase or AltaLink. A] Beachhead. [From which the company can] Look at other incremental opportunities over the long term.
Greg Abel

[In May 2014 on making the time to travel back to Canada to visit his month who lives in St Albert, just outside Edmonton, as well as his sister and her family.] Quite regularly.
Greg Abel

[In May 2014.] We’re just incredibly patient, and when our team finds the right [opportunity] we’ll want to continue to invest in Alberta, and Canada. We take a very patient approach.
Greg Abel

[In June 2014 on Greg being asked by Warren Buffett how much in total he had already invested in renewable energy.] $15 billion. [‘There’s another $15 billion ready to go as far as I’m concerned.’ - Warren Buffett]
Greg Abel

[In July 2014 on the name change of MidAmerican Energy Holdings to Berkshire Hathaway Energy.] This new name more accurately reflects our growing diversified mix of businesses and the customers we serve. We still share the vision to be the best energy company in serving our customers, while delivering sustainable energy solutions.
Greg Abel

[In July 2014 on Paul Caudill replacing Michael Yackira who retired yesterday as CEO at NV Energy.] Paul is a proven leader whose extensive background in the utility and renewable industries combined with his passion for serving our customers, make him a natural to lead NV Energy. Michael Yackira has helped transform NV Energy into the outstanding company it is today, and Paul will build on that foundation by leading the organization into the next era of Nevada's energy future.
Greg Abel

[In August 2014 on doing the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.] Good afternoon I’m Greg Abel CEO of Bershire Hathaway Energy. I’m here accepting Kyle’s grossest challenge. Regarding the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Kyle thankyou to you and your… team for the leadership on this important issue and for issuing the challenge. In return I’ll be issuing the challenge to a number of our executives. And Tammy you’re just enjoying this a little too much. Ready.
Greg Abel

[In October 2014 on his goal being to bring the Berkshire Hathaway name to the energy sector.] Our operating principles are the same as [Berkshire Hathaway] and we truly invest forever, and that gives stakeholders and regulators the ability to hold us accountable.
Greg Abel

[In October 2014 on Iowa’s driver’s licenses now having wind turbines in the background.] That’s how proud we are.
Greg Abel

[In October 2014 on a tax credit for solar set to expire in 2016.] 2016 in our minds is still a long way off.
Greg Abel

[In December 2014 on the BHE acquisition of AltaLink which received approval from the Alberta Utilities Commission.] The values of BHE align with AltaLink’s values and with those of Albertans. Our core principles include a strong commitment to employees and their safety, second-to-none customer service, and open, transparent relationships with regulators and key stakeholders. We are confident in the operations and integrity of AltaLink, and we look forward to working with its dedicated employees and management team as they continue to execute their business plans. We are pleased to have an opportunity to play a role in Alberta’s economy and to support the continued development of its economic engine.
Greg Abel

[In January 2015.] Our vision remains unchanged: to be the best energy company in serving our customers, while delivering sustainable energy solutions.
Greg Abel

[In August 1985.] Scouting is carried for the rest of your life.
Greg Abel

[In February 2015 on Greg Abel.] Under this Buffett-soon-leaves assumption, his successors would not be ‘of only moderate ability.’ For instance, Ajit Jain and Greg Abel are proven performers who would probably be under-described as ‘world-class.’ ‘World-leading’ would be the description I would choose. In some important ways, each is a better business executive than Buffett. And I believe neither Jain nor Abel would (1) leave Berkshire, no matter what someone else offered or (2) desire much change in the Berkshire system.
Charlie Munger

I get a lot of phone calls each day, and I always make time for Greg when he calls because he brings me great ideas and is truly innovative in his thinking and business approach.
Warren Buffett

For one thing he’s a good friend. He’s the sort of person you can count on to take care of anything that comes up and to take care of your interests as well as his own. He’s a first class human being and there’s a lot of smart people in this world but some of them do some very dumb things. He’s a smart guy who will never do a dumb thing. I’ve never heard him say anything that didn’t make sense. So when we’re talking about a deal it’s easy, he sees that essence of it and puts it all together and then if we do something with it he runs it right. That’s enormously important.
Warren Buffett

[In March 2008 on Greg Abel becoming the CEO of MidAmerican.] Greg Abel and I have worked together for more than 15 years. Greg is one of the finest executives in our industry, and he has the full confidence of Walter Scott Jr., Warren Buffett and I. Much of MidAmerican's success to date is due to Greg's efforts. We are fortunate to have a leader of Greg's caliber as our partner. David Sokol

[On Greg who has an accounting background and rose quickly due to his ability and sharp business acumen.] The business friend relationship normally comes into conflict. I think the reason that Greg and I can work it out is because we separate our two roles clearly, and we do it openly and knowingly. For example, we enjoy skiing together, but when we get back to work, we make sure we don’t slack off and expect less of each other because we are friends. Instead we hold ourselves to much higher standards. David Sokol

We think as a team and often solicit disagreement, recognizing that it can be very beneficial in making better decisions. - David Sokol
David Sokol

[In 2006 on owning utilities.] Not a way to get rich. It’s a way to stay rich.
Warren Buffett